Blues News

Blues try to block out the noise before Game 7

by
Chris Pinkert
/ Notes by Brett Barczewski

The players probably aren't going to read this.

"You guys are going to have a bunch of articles blowing this up," Blues forward Pat Maroon said to the media on Monday, just one day before Game 7 to decide whether the St. Louis Blues or Dallas Stars will be moving on to the Western Conference Final. "(We just have to) ignore the situation, ignore all the stats and all that stuff. Just go out there and compete and do what we did in Game 6. I don't think anyone believed in us (in Game 6) and we got it done."

"Put the noise behind us and just play," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube added. "… Play a simple brand of hockey and get to our game as quickly as possible. Keep the noise out and focus on playing."

So, while the players will block this out, here's a little noise for the rest of us to ponder while we anxiously wait for Game 7:

- The last time the St. Louis Blues played a Game 7 was back in 2016, when they went to the Western Conference Final. Troy Brouwer's memorable third-period goal against the Chicago Blackhawks moved the Blues to the second round, and a 6-1 blowout win against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in Game 7 put the Blues in the third round for the first time in 15 years.

- The Blues and Stars have met 14 times in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and this will be the fifth series to require a Game 7. The Blues are 3-1 all-time against the Stars in Game 7s.

- The Blues are 8-8 in Game 7s all time, which includes a 4-2 record at home. The Stars are 5-7 in Game 7s, including a 2-4 record on the road.

- Nine Blues players who played in Game 7 between the teams in 2016 remain on the team's current roster, while just five remain on the Stars' roster.

- Fifteen Blues have played in a Game 7: Jay Bouwmeester, Alexander Steen, Pat Maroon, David Perron, Carl Gunnarsson, Robert Bortuzzo, Alex Pietrangelo, Tyler Bozak, Ryan O'Reilly, Brayden Schenn, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz, Joel Edmundson, Colton Parayko and Robby Fabbri. Gunnarsson and Maroon are the most experience Blues, having played in three career Game 7s.